Automobile panel



Sept. 13, 1938. c Q HARRAH 2,129,838

AUTOMOBILE PANEL Filed Nov. 18, 1936 Ft 5 INVENTOR. ,4 CLFIY TON C. HFIRRFIH I Fig. 7 BY 7726: $54727 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 13, v1938 UNITED STATES AUTOMOBILE PANEL Clayton C. Han-ah, Niles, Mich, assignor to National Standard Oompany, Niles, Mich, a cornotation of Michigan Application November 18, 1936, Serial no. 111,380 6 Claims. (01. 290-44) This invention relates to automobile panels and the like, such for example as are used in automobile doors and bodies, and is illustrated as embodied in an automobile door having novel inexpensive but very strong means for attaching a panel of fiberboard to'a sheet-metal backing.

. An object of the invention is to provide inexpensive fastening means of great strength which can be manipulated with great rapidity, thereby lessening the cost while at the same time increasing the strength of the joint.

To this end, the joint includes a tape of wires secured at intervals to the metal backing, preferably by spot-welding, and with which are interlocked fastenings such as staples, headed fastenings of the type of single or double-pointed tacks, or the like, all of which are adapted to be clinched by being driven through the wire tape against the metal behind it.

Other desirable fastenings may, comprise helically formed, pointed wires, or similar devices, which may be screwed through the panel and, in effect, threadedly interlocked with the tape. Or, if desired, fastenings may be inserted through the tape from the reverse side beforeit is secured to the metal backing, and, after it is so secured, clinched on the outer face of the panel.

For the wire tape I prefer to use a braid of wires carried alternately over and under each other diagonally of the tape for the full length of the tape. This gives a very strong joint, since it insures that the particular wire which interlooks with a given fastening will itself be secured directly to the backing. Also this construction avoids any considerable open space in the tape, since the wires are substantially in engagement with each other, while yet the points of the fastenings easily find their way between adjacent wires because of the relatively great distance between the points at which any given wire is held by the other wires. Any deflection of the points of the fastenings merely aids in clinching them,

as they readily find their way between the wires even if they do not go straight.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, including various novel combinations of parts and desirable particular constructions, will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a panel for an automobile door, with part of an overlyingfinish sheet of non-metallic material such as fiberboard or the like broken away at one side to show the metal backing;

Figure 2 is a partial section therethrough, showing the joint between the non-metallic material and the metallic backing;

Figure 3 is a view on an enlarged scale showing the tape spot-welded at intervals to the metallic 5 backing;

Figures 4, 5, 6, and "I are partial sections on an enlarged scale, lengthwise of the joint; showing the use of different types of fastenings; and

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively perspective and 10 elevational views on a still more enlarged scale of the format fastening used in Figure 7.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a hollow panel for an automobile door I0, having an outer sheetmetal face I! and an angle-section stamped sheet- 15 metal frame or backing I4 of any desired form. The present invention relates to the means for attaching to such a structure a sheet of fiber-- board it used as an interior finish, or other sheet material, usually of a non-metallic character.

The novel joint includes a tape I8 of wires, preferably braided alternately over and under ,each other diagonally of the tape and each extending the full length of the tape, the tape being welded or otherwise secured at its ends to the 25 backing l4. Between its ends, at intervals, the tape may be spot-welded at its margins only to the backing M, as indicated at 20. Since the different wires all extend at times into the margins of the tape, it is almost certain that each '30 wire will be welded at several intermediate points to the backing M, as well as at the ends of the tape. a

Various types of fastenings may be used to secure the material IG to the tape l8, but I prefer 35 to use fastenings which are readily clinched against the tape l8 by being driven against the metal backing 14. As examples, Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the use of staples or stitches 22 and of headed double-pointed tacks 24. The points of 40 these fastenings readily find their way between the interbraided wires of the tape, even if deflected by engagement with the wires. Moreover there is no possibility of some of the fastenings failing to engage and interlock with the wires, 45 asthere is no substantial space anywhere between the wires. 7

Another desirable method of securing the panel is illustrated in Figure 6 in which are shown staples or stitches 26 the prongs of which are in- 50 prongsoi the staples and the prcngs are clinched on the outer face of the panel.

Figures 7-9 illustrate still another fastening 28 comprising a pointed wire which may be doubled back on itself, as at 36, to form a head and be formed with one or more helical or spiral coils 32 adapted to be'screwed through the panel i6, and, in eil'ect, be threadedly interlocked with the wires of the tape iii.

While particular constructions have been described above, it is not my intention to limit the scope oi the'invention byv that description, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article comprising a sheet-metal backing having secured thereto at intervals a wire iabric consisting of a tape of wires braided diagonally over and under each other and each extending for the full length of the tape and which tape is secured to said backing at its ends; nonmetallic material overlying said tape, and fastenings engaging said non-metallic material and interlocked with the wires of said tape and seeming said material to said backing.

2. An automobile part comprising a panel having a sheetmetal part, a wire tape secured at its ends tosaid part and secured at intervals thereto between said ends and which consists of wires braided diagonally of the tape over and under each other and which extend for the full length of the tape, a second panel overlying the first panel over said tape, and iastenings engaging said second panel and interlocked with the wires of said tape.

3. An automobile part comprising a panel having a sheet-metal part, a wire tape secured at araaess its ends to said part and secured at intervals thereto between said ends and which consists of wires braided diagonally of the tape over and under each other and which extend for the full length of the tape, a second panel overlying the first panel over said tape, and fastenings passing through the second panel and through said tape and clinched against the tape by engagement with said sheet-metal part.

4. An automobile part comprising a panel having a sheet-metal part, a wire tape secured at its ends to said part and secured at intervals thereto between said ends, a second panel overlying the first panel over said tape, and fastenings passing through the second panel and throughsaid tape and clinched against the tape by engagement with said sheet-metal part.

5. An automobile part'comprising a panel having asheet-metal part, a wire tape secured at its ends to said part and secured at intervals thereto between said ends, fastenings inserted through said tape from the side engaging said sheet-metal part and having a portion embraced between said sheet metal part and said tape, a second panel overlying the first panel, said fastenings passing through said second panel and having means seated against the outer face of said second panel.

6. An automobile part comprising a panel having a sheet-metalpart, a wire mesh tape secured at its ends to said part and secured at intervals thereto between said ends, a second panel overlying the flrst panel, fastenings having head portions seated against the outer surface of the second panel and substantially helical portions screwed through the second panel and interlocked 

